


Wedding at Higgins manor

by miggyfan



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: A.U, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29047830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miggyfan/pseuds/miggyfan
Summary: Roommates A.U / Fake dating / prompt.14 “okay, maybe i’m crazy but did i just hear you say that out loud ?”Another 'drabble' from the prompt game on tumblr.Magnum traveled all the way to London with Higgins, as her fake boyfriend, to accompany her to the wedding of her nice cousin Jenny. Thomas is excited to stay in the castle with his roomate, but is he prepared to meet the rest of the family ?A week in England with his beautiful friend, it was going to be fun right ?
Relationships: Juliet Higgins & Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Comments: 94
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sutured_Wings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sutured_Wings/gifts).



Magnum was finally home after a long night of investigations in the woods, he was so exhausted, he felt like he was litterally dead on his feet.

He was covered in mud, and other things he prefered to ignore, after spending the night fighting traffickers with his friend the lieutenant Katsumoto, the only thing he wanted right now, was a hot shower and sleep.

He decided to sneak directly into his room to avoid a certain person, because he knew that if his very beautiful, and clean freak of a roommate saw him inside in this state, she was going to reap his head off, for putting mud all over her fancy wood floor.

Magnum sighed thinking about his roommate.

They had nothing in common, she was uptight and very serious, while he was laid back, carefree and he thought, very funny, even if Juliet didn’t agree with him.

But she was pretty though, he had to admit it. She was caring and thoughtful despite her cold exterior, there was something about her that was very sexy and terrifying at the same time.

It was probably why he had such a crush on her.

Thomas got out of his shower and went downstairs to find something to eat, but he stopped in his tracks, when he heard Juliet talking with somebody, she was apparently video chating with someone from her family.

« I already told you, I am sorry but I won’t go to your wedding ! You don’t need to buy me a ticket to england to try to convince me to change my mind, because it’s not going to work, just choose someone else to be your maid of honor.” Said Juliet with a sigh.

« Is it because of your dad ?”

Juliet closed her eyes, she really didn’t want to have that kind of conversation.

« No it’s not ...” She replied, a little bit more harshly than she wanted.

« So what then ? I don’t get it. You can even bring your boyfriend with you ! We will be very happy to welcome the both of you in London ! You kept talking about him, but we never saw him, maybe you lied to your family about your imaginary boyfriend »

« You can think whatever you want, I don’t care if you don’t believe me, it won’t be the first time that I’ll disappoint my family.” Retorted Juliet, getting angrier and angrier.

« You don’t want to wear the pink bridesmaid dress I choosed for you ? You would have look so good in it, I’m sure your imaginary boyfriend would have love seeing you all dolled up like a princess. »

« Can you stop with the imaginary boyfriend already ?!!! »

« No I won’t stop ! Unless you come here and bring him with you ! »

Juliet was starting to feel trapped, her family kept bothering her about settling down, so when she started living with Magnum, everybody had already decided that they were together, and she just didn’t denied it.

They were far away from Hawaii, and this little lie had spared her a few lectures from her father, it was all good until that godamm wedding.

Juliet was lost in her thoughts, desperately trying to find a way to avoid to go to London, when suddenly a strong arm sneaked around her waist, to hug her tight, almost giving her an heart attack.

She bit back a scream and nearly dropped her tablet under the schock, her very handsome roomate was squeezing her so tight, she could feel the hard muscles of his torso moving against her chest.

She was just wearing a tee shirt and no bra, her round breasts pressed against his firm pecs, she was sure he was feeling them too, making her blush profusely.

« Hey babe ! You were supposed to join me in the shower, I’m still waiting for you to wash my back… » He wispered while peppering small kisses in the crook of her neck.

He was only wearing a towel around his waist, despite sharing his home with a roommate, Magnum had no problem walking around the house nearly naked.

He pulled Juliet even closer, and stared at her a few seconds, like he was asking if she was okay with it, and he kissed her, right on the lips, his hand around her neck to keep her in place, as his tongue slid into her mouth, warm and gentle, slowly teasing her with each strokes against her lips, making her moaned in ecstasy.

Juliet was in shock, she was kissing her roomate, she was kissing Magnum.

Despite being an annoying reckless manchild, he had always been respectful and a gentleman toward her. 

He would have never touch her this way without her permission, unless…He had heard her conversation.

« Magnum... » Panted Juliet out of breath, if he wanted to play this game, she could play too.

« We are not alone… » She whispered against his lips.

« It’s okay, let’s show her that I’m not imaginary… » Discreetly whispered Magnum in her ear, his hands roaming lascively on her back.

“okay, maybe i’m crazy but did i just hear you say that out loud?” grumbled Juliet in a menacing tone, pinching his butt hard enough to make him jump on his tip toes, biting back a shriek.

Thomas immediately released her, startled by her retaliation, and maybe a little turned on too.

« Hold your horse cowboy, I was talking to my family... » Replied Juliet, showing him the tablet with her cousin on the screen.

« Oh God ! I thought you were playing chess as usual… Sorry ! » He stammered, a little embarassed, showing his best charming smile.

« Helloooooo !!!! I’m Jenny, and I am so happy to see that you’re not imaginary ! And damn ! I understand now, why Juliet was hiding you from us ! She was too scared we would try to steal you away from her … » Replied Juliet’s cousin, with a knowing smile.

Magnum could see the resemblance, they could have been sisters, except Jenny had long red curly hair and striking green eyes.

She seemed nice and funny, someone who he could easily became friend with.

« Hi ! Sorry for the …interruption… » Apologized Magnum, while scratching his hair like an embarassed todler.

« So are you coming to Hawaii to visit us ? » He innocently asked, like he hadn’t heard the whole conversation.

« No, actually, I’m getting married in a few weeks and I was hoping you could help me convince Juliet to be my maid of honor, I would be really happy to have you both at my wedding. »

Juliet felt really bad to let her cousin down like that, growing up she was one of the rare person in her family who was nice to her.

« So what do you say, Higgy ? I think you would be very cute in a bridesmaid dress… » Said Magnum with a smile, wiggling his eyebrows.

« You will probably have to wear a tail coat and a hat, you know that… » Warned Juliet.

« Really ? » Asked Magnum a little worried. 

« Yes, don’t worry, I’ll take care of that part, you’ll see, shopping in London is amazing, you’ll like it, I promise ! »

Jenny was so happy and excited, it was impossible to resist her charming smile.

Magnum lightly bumped Juliet’s shoulder with a smile, « So ? wedding or not wedding ? »

Giving up on fighting her overly enthusiastic cousin and Magnum in puppy eye mode, Juliet finally replied with a sigh :

« I guess we are going to London… »


	2. Chapter 2

Juliet couldn’t believe she had agreed to travel all the way back to London, with Magnum as her boyfriend.

Just earing the two words in the same sentence, was enough to rile her.

Thomas Magnum, her roomate and friend, a man child whose sole purpose in life was to annoy her, with the walking around half naked, and the non-stop talking, the endless string of women spending the night in his room, the messy cooking and the wine stealing.

Magnum was a mess, a handsome and a funny mess, she had to admit to herself, but never to him, because his oversize ego didn’t need to get more confident than he already was.

Of course, Thomas was very amused by the situation.

As usual, his laid back and carefree nature prevented him fom worring about the fact, that they were going to lie to her entire family about their relationship.

« It’s okay Higgy, people date and break up all the time. It’s not like we are going to get married, it’s not a big deal, you need to relax…You’ll see, it’s going to be fun ! »   
Said Magnum, throwing a blue m&m’s up in the air and catching it with his mouth, while a little boy from the front row, was watching him with wonder in his eyes.

Juliet sighed, travelling with Magnum was like accompanying a toddler. 

He easily got excited about anything, finding wonder in even the most insignificant things, like the tiny bottles of wine they were serving on the plane. 

Juliet watched him making goofy and funny faces to the little boy, elliciting a few toothy smiles from the child.

At least, he was nice.

Magnum had a lot of flaws, but he was genuinely kind to people, helping her with her suitcase, but also the single mom sitting in front of them, he always did all those little things without thinking, helping people was a second nature for him.

« I don’t know where your confidence come from, because meeting my family is surely not going to be fun. » She replied with a frown, catching the red m&m’s before it landed in his mouth, making Magnum pout and the little boy laugh.

« If they are all like your cousin, I don’t think there will be a problem. I’m good at making friends, I’m a very social person. » Replied Magnum, wiggling his eyebrows.

« Jenny is an exception, most of them are a bunch of snob and uptight privilege people, who think that they are better than everybody else. » Said Juliet, not hiding her irritation.

« So just like you then ! » Replied Magnum with a mocking smile, nudging lightly her shoulder.

Juliet flinched, unable to hide how his words had hurt her, she bit back her retort with a sigh, suddenly avoiding his eyes.

« Believe me, they are way worst than me… »

« Higgy…I’m sorry, you know I was kidding right ? » Added Magnum, a little worried by the somber look in her eyes.

There was definitely something bothering her, with her family and he instantly regretted making fun of her about it.

He nudged her leg with his knee, « Come on… Whatever happens, we will face it together. Even if they are not nice to us, we can just ignore them, and eat their food, go shopping, dancing… I want to ride those red double decker-buses, we’ll cross the London bridge, and we’ll go to see the Queen… »

« You are not going to meet the Queen ?!!! »

« No ?... »

« Of course not ! Oh god… » Replied Juliet a little alarmed.

« But I thought you were a lady, a princess or something… »

« A duchess… But it doesn’t mean anything, the Queen doesn’t meet people randomly like that, aristocrat or not, she has a very busy schedule, and you can’t just go, and say ‘hello’ to her like you’re visiting an old aunt ! »

« Damn ! This is so disappointing ! »

« Magnum can you please, just follow my lead and don’t make any lame joke ! »

« Lame ? » Magnum put his hand over his heart in an overdramatic gesture, feigning to be deeply offended by her words.

« Dear diary, today my lovely but mean best friend hurt my feelings again, pretending that I was not funny, undermining my already sensitive mind by mocking my best feature, my sense of humor. 

I might not recover from this, it felt like a stab through my poor fragile heart. »

« Shut up Magnum ! »

And Thomas bursted out of laughing, grateful that he had managed to make Juliet smile, after unintentionnally hurting her feelings.

He enjoyed teasing her, and he knew that even if she kept denying it, Juliet liked having him around, eventhough he was messing with the perfect order she tried to maintain around herself.

Magnum was like a cute puppy bringing chaos in his wake.

But joy, warmth and tenderness followed him too. 

He wasn’t afraid to be affectionate toward her, invading her personal space to hug her or squeeze her hand, like it was nothing. 

All the gentle and supposedly innocent gestures, he dared to pull on her, making her secretly crave for more, while berating him for being too familiar.

Juliet wished she could be as happy as he was.

Unlike her, he grew up in a loving and caring family. 

Even after loosing his father at barely eight years old, he had been cherished by a caring mother, and protected by his uncles and cousins.

She liked hearing him talking about his holidays in Mexico, spending his time trying and failing to be a bull rider or a real cowboy.

He knew what family means, he knew what love means.

Travelling with Magnum was indeed fun, Juliet let his happy chatter lulled her to sleep.

Even if she pretend to be annoyed by his presence she was relieved to have him by her side.

His husky voice, rough with sleep during the movie, was keeping her from drifting into the usual anxiety she felt when she was about to see her father.

She almost didn’t noticed when his head slid on her shoulder as he lost the fight against sleep.

She let him take his rest against her, wondering if his hair was as silky as it looked.

Would he notice if she ran her fingers though his dark strands ?

How many girls had grip them tight, while making love with him ?

Juliet berated herself for fantasizing about her roomate, maybe being so close to him wasn’t such a good idea…

She studied his face,relaxed and appeased during sleep.

The faint scars on his upper lip, and nose, betraying his dark past as a navy seal.

Sometimes she forgot that he went to war, and had suffered so much during his time in the army.

Just like herself, he had his fair share of bad memories, he was just better at hiding them behind his dimples and beaming smile.

Juliet let slumber claim her too.

She fell asleep with Magnum’s face buried in the crook of her neck, his warm lips lightly grazing her skin.

It was nothing, it was just like an undercover mission, her and Magnum acting like lovers, what could possibly go wrong ?


	3. Chapter 3

Getting out of the very expensive Rolls royce Phantom, Magnum raised his eyes to stare at the intimidating dark figure rising in front of him, the building loomed over them like a giant troll, turned into stone by the sunlight. 

Saying that he was impressed by the stone fortress that Juliet called ‘Higgins manor’ was an understatement. 

It was a huge medieval castle built partially on a river, flanked by towers and ramparts, it even had a dungeon that was daunting as it was reaching to the sky.

The not so ‘little’ manor was surrounded by a moat and a large lush park overlooking the square of the village.

Magnum was starting to wonder what Juliet actually meant by ‘little’, because there was nothing ‘little’ about the huge building standing in front of him.

« Seriously ! Your conception of reality is really misleading because this place is far from being a ‘little gothic manor near London’, it’s freaking huge ! »

« Windsor is bigger… » Replied Juliet, in a monotonous tone, like she wasn’t comparing her home to the Queen's castle.

« OH !…. Of course ! If your place is smaller than The Queen’s, so it’s miserable ! A real dump ! » Teased Magnum, as he was helping the chauffeur to get the suitcases from the trunk.

Juliet sighed she was tired from her long travel on the plane, she was dying for a shower, and at least two hours of real sleep in a real bed, and even if she usually like chatting with Magnum, right now, she was too exhausted to follow him into their usual banter.

She didn’t notice she was staggering, until she felt his strong arm around her waist keeping her from falling flat on her face.

« Higgy ? Are you alright ? »

« Mmmmh… Yes … A little tired… I barely slept on the plane.»

She kept to herself that she barely slept since she agreed to go to the wedding, and that she had spent most of the night playing with his hair as he slept deeply on her, his head on her lap, and his hands on her thighs.

She surprised herself by letting him rest against her, mesmerized by his handsome face, as she ran her fingers through his silky strands to distract her from the usual anxiety she felt each time she travelled back to London.

« Higgy ? Did you slept at all ? »

« I did, a little… » She replied with a sheepish smile.

She bit her lip to refrain a laugh, when she saw her uncle’s dogs run toward them at full speed.

Magnum didn’t saw them because he was focused on her, but he definitely felt the weight of the huge english mastiff when it jumped on him and threw him to the ground to copiously lick his face.

« You saw them coming at me right ? » Thomas asked, stuck under a giant dog, sitting on him and whining each time he tried to move.

Juliet nodded laughing, as she crouched down to push the dog away from him and help him to his feet.

« I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop myself, don’t worry, they are really nice dogs, just like giant teddy bears. This is Orion and the overly enthusiastic one is Hades.»

« So I didn’t even take a step on the property, and Hades, litterally the god of death, has already tried to kill me… »

« Come on, Hades likes you, look at him he just wanted a kiss. »

« Thank you dude, but I’d rather kiss my girlfriend, than a giant slobbery dog, so no thank you ! » Said Magnum, scratching the mastiff behind his ear.

He didn’t notice how Juliet’s heart skipped a beat at his words, but he did saw her blushing profusingly, hiding her embarrassment behind a smile.

« I supposed you are The boyfriend… »

Magnum jumped and cursed, startled by the man who suddenly appeared behind him. 

Juliet squeezed his arms reassuringly, and raised her hand in front of the dogs, then lowered it to make them sit down.

Thomas was amazed by the fact that she managed to calm them down with a simple gesture, they were as obedients as the lads in Hawaii.

« Uncle John, this is Thomas Magnum, Thomas, this is my uncle Jonathan Higgins, he practically raised me after my mother… got sick. »

Magnum felt the change in the atmosphere, there was definitely something bothering her, but she seemed to like her uncle, given the way she was looking at the short elegant mustached man, he looked like Hercule Poirot, intelligence and insightfulness emanated from him, this one won’t be easy to fool, he thought a little bit worried. 

« It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person Mr Magnum, Juliet can be so secretive, but I understand the situation, sadly our family is quiet fond of gossiping about almost anything. »

Magnum shook his hand, it was warm and welcoming, uncle John was definitely one of the good guy, and he felt guilty to lie to him.

« Thank you for welcoming us in your … not so little gothic manor. »

« Again with that ? Magnum, it’s really not that big ! »

« This place is huge Higgy ! And i’m pretty sure it’s also haunted ! »

« WHAT ? It’s not haunted ! This is getting ridiculous ! You watched too many horror movies Magnum, this place is just a normal medieval fortress ! »

Magnum just stared at her, smiling and shaking his head in disbelief, amazed by her conception of normalcy.

« I think I can help with your little argument, » added Juliet’s uncle with an amused smile, « This place is indeed, quite big and intimidating, but we do reside in only a ‘small’ part of the castle, which is indeed a ‘little gothic manor’, just like Juliet said. »

Magnum laughed when Juliet nudged his shoulder to give him a smug smile, she was gloating, and he liked that he managed to make her anxiety disappear by teasing her.

« The rest of the castle host a fencing school, a venue for all kinds of events, like Jenny’s wedding, a hotel and restaurants, so yes we don’t really live in the whole fortress. »

« This place is like a little kingdom ! »

« Back in the time when we used to own the village, yes, it was like a 'little' duchy… » Continued the uncle, pleased to see Magnum’s genuine interest and amazement.

« And it’s not haunted ! » Retorted Juliet, rolling her eyes.

« Mmmmh… I’m pretty sure it is… »

« What makes you say that ? » Asked lord Higgins with curiosity.

« I don’t know it’s just a gut feeling… »

« Your guts are full of plane food and candies, which is not good at all, so sorry if I don’t trust your guts. I grew up here, and there is no ghost, for the simple reason that ghosts doesn’t exist ! Why are we having this conversation ? »

Jonathan smiled witnessing the banter between his niece and her beau. 

They looked comfortable with each other, Magnum seemed nice, and he didn’t missed the fact that he was trying to distract her, from her usual dark thoughts by riling her and teasing her.

He was different from the so serious Richard.

It was good to see Juliet smile so easily, after all those lonely years.

« We do have a ghost Mr Magnum, I'll tell you all about her later. » Added Juliet’s uncle with a grin.

« See ! I knew it Higgy ! »

« Uncle John please … » Said Juliet with a sigh.

They went all toward the castle impressive wooden door, as they stepped inside, Juliet didn’t even noticed she was holding Magnum’s hand the whole time her uncle gave them the tour of the huge property.

Thomas was in heaven, the place was amazing, her uncle was a very interesting character, and for once the dogs didn’t want to eat him. 

He felt weirdly giddy with just holding her cold hand in his, and he was happy to feel it warming up against his skin.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

When they finally reached their room, Magnum was one more time amazed by the beautiful antique furnitures, but what caught his attention was the huge painting on the ceiling, it was Wendy flying in the sky with Peter Pan, toward Neverland.

« It’s one of the most beautiful thing I ever seen… » Said Magnum in a low voice, his eyes full of wonder locked on the ceiling.

« I’m glad that you liked it, My uncle made it for me when I came to live here…. I was thirteen years old, Father had just sent Mom away in an institution, and I was so angry, so many bad things had happened this year… »

« I’m sorry to hear that… »

Magnum reflexively rubbed her palm tenderly, and for once Juliet didn’t mind his tendency to touch her constantly. 

She welcomed his affectionate manners, being in London, the land of so many bad memories made her crave his touch, so why not ? 

They were supposed to be together right ?…

« If you want to talk… »

« NO ! » 

Juliet immediately regretted her harsh tone. 

She added in a lower tone to redeem herself, « I mean, not right now… I need a hot shower, and a good night sleep in a comfortable bed, so sorry for dismissing you like this, you already help me so much with the whole situation, I shouldn’t have raised my voice like that, it’s just I’m not good at talking about… »

« Painful subjects… » He continued, lightly squeezing her hand.

« Yes… Thank you for being such a good friend, I’m not always nice to you, I can be rather … »

« Annoying ? Uptight ? »

« Yes ! » She admited with a little pout, squeezing his hand hard in retaliation.

« Okay, okay… So… How do we sleep ? »  
He asked, suddenly a little embarrassed, scratching his head like a little boy.

« You can take the couch. »

« What ? That thing looked really expensive but uncomfortable ! »

« Listen, we’re going to spend ten days in this room, and it’s not fair to make you sleep on the couch the whole time, so what if we take turns ? I’ll start tonight, then tomorrow you can have the bed. »

« What ? I can’t make you sleep on the couch Higgy ! »

« I was just trying to be fair. »

« I know, but I’d rather sleep on the floor. »

« You’re sure ? Yes, I’ll manage, I’m a navy seal, it’s nothing, really, this wooden floor seems …. Comfy… »

Juliet sighed, it was a little awkward, but she was too tired to think, so she left him to take a shower, trying to keep all her dirty thoughts about them sharing a bed, deep deep in her confused heart.

After tidying up his clothes in Juliet’s closet, Magnum went downstairs in the kitchen to talk to the cook, because of course they had a 'chef' in this place, he wanted to surprised Juliet and needed his help.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Jonathan Higgins had met a lot of people in his life, travelling all around the world, but he could admit he was rather intrigued by Thomas Magnum.

Reading his file he discovered that he was a seasoned soldier. 

A highly decorated navy seals, but he also had a few reprimands to his records, apparently he was quite the rebelious kind of soldier, standing up to autority and moving to his own volition, which was not regarded kindly by his superiors.

A lot of his missions were classified, he survived through eighteenth month in a POW camp, he was a war hero, a survivor.

As an ex MI6 agent he could see right through their little game.

He knew they weren’t together. 

Juliet had a hard time recovering after Richard's death, and it wasn’t like she was dating a lot before him.

But if she choosed to bring Magnum here, in a place really emotionally charged for her, instead of simply going to a hotel, it meant he was important to her, probably more than just a friend.

Magnum jumped and bit back a shriek when he finally noticed Jonathan behind him.

He nearly dropped the fry pan in his hand, his heart racing crazily in his chest.

« FUCK ! You nearly gave me an heart attack !.... Sorry about the language… » He added sheepishly.

« Don’t apologize I should have announce myself, I didn’t want to scare you. »

Jonathan knew he wasn’t about to drop the pan, he was more about to crush his head with it, surprising someone who probably had PTSD could be a very dangerous idea, seeing how hard he was squeezing the handle of the pan in his hand.

« I was just baking some pancakes for Higgy, do you want some ? I made plenty of it ! »  
Magnum offered with a beaming smile. 

It was a nice attention thought Jonathan, this gentleman had definitely some feelings for his niece.

« Higgy ? »

« Higgins… I mean Juliet, it’s a little nickname I gave her, sorry, it’s stucked in my mind. »

« I see, it’s rather charming. And the fact that you are baking for her, is also very nice of you. You do know that we have a chef here, and you still choosed to do it yourself… »

Magnum felt a little trapped under Juliet’s uncle scrutiny, he didn’t know why, but this guy was way smarter and insightful that he was letting on, he was definitely up to something.

« Yeah… In Hawaii I do the cooking, and Juliet take care of…. Almost everything else, which is a lot of things, because I’m a little bit messy… She’s always complaining that I’m worse than the Lads… »

« I can easily picture her lecturing you like that, she had always been a bit obsessive with the cleaning, eventhough we had maid and housekeepers. »

« Yeah ! A real clean freak right !.... So ? Pancakes ? I swear they are awesome ! »

« I guess I will let myself be tempted by your baking skills, and get a taste of those ‘awesome’ pancakes Mr Magnum. » Replied Jonathan, getting two plates from the cupboard.

« How long have you been in love with my niece Mr Magnum ? »

This time Thomas did dropped the pan like he had been burnt, the question caughting him out of guard.

« Are you alright Mr Magnum ? »

« I’m fine… And call me Thomas or simply Magnum, please, because 'Mr Magnum' make me feel like an old person….  
I think, I had a crush on your niece since the first day I met her.  
She was so beautiful and so annoying, sorry, but it’s true.  
She was always on my back, just like her dobermans, but in a way, she helped me a lot, with my work... My PTSD…  
I was just coming back from Afghanistan when I met her, I was a mess, and even if I was good at hiding it, I was in a really dark place and she was there for me, she kept me on my feet, always pushing me forward.  
So I guess it’s been a while… »

Jonathan studied Magnum’s face, and only saw love and affection when he was talking about Juliet.

Maybe Robin was right, maybe they were made for each other.

His friend had thought at the time, that putting those two in the same house would be a good thing, a grieving ex spy and a traumatized soldier, to him it could have also been dangerous, like pouring gasoline on a fire.

But in the end they seemed both fine, he was curious to see how their relationship could evolve during their stay in Higgins manor.

Juliet was hidden behind the wall of the kitchen, her heart was racing like she had run a marathon, hearing Magnum’s words about her had shocked her deeply. 

She knew he was probably lying to maintain their fake relationship, but why was she so overwhelmed by his confession ?

Juliet sighed, trying and failing at calming her racing heart.

She went back upstairs feeling like a coward, she didn’t know how to face him. 

Her face was flushed, she needed another shower, how the hell was she going to survive this week in this situation ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody ! Sorry for the late update, I hope this chapter will make up for the wait !  
> I miss my babies so much ! No episode this week and I'm a mess !  
> I wrote Jonathan Higgins a little nicer to Magnum than in the old serie, our puppy will need all the support before meeting the rest of the family, specially Juliet's father.


	4. Chapter 4

When Juliet got out of the shower, she didn’t expect to see Magnum trapped against the wall of her bedroom with Hades all over him, trying to reach for the plate in his hands.

« Thank god you’re here ! I thought this monster was going to eat me alive ! » He said out of breath, the weight of the english mastiff crushing him against the wall.

Juliet laughed, forgetting her previous worries, Magnum was adorable, his comical relationship with dogs never ceased to amaze her.

« Hades ! Down ! » She ordered, and the huge dog immediately obeyed with a whine, taking his giant paws away from Magnum’s chest.

« God ! Thank you… What’s with your family and big dogs ? » He groaned, putting the plate full of pancakes on her canopy bed, funnily standing in front of it to prevent Hades to steal the delicious meal.

« No dude ! I told you ! They are chocolate chips pancakes, you can’t have one, chocolate is bad for you, and they are for my girlfriend, so back off ! »

Juliet’s heart skipped a beat at his words…

‘My girlfriend’…..

He was not supposed to make her feel this way…

He was annoying, irresponsible, messy, immature, charming, cute… Damn ! She was slowly but surely loosing her mind ! 

She hated how easily he could make her heart beat faster, and blood rush to her cheeks, making her feel like an awkward teenager.

The butterflies fluttering in her belly, each time he was too close to her, were infuriating.

Juliet didn’t know how to tame the rebellious feelings in her heart, when he was around her.

« Look at what you’ve done ! You drooled all over me ! My shirt is ruined ! Now I have to take another shower because I smell like dog ! Seriously dude ! It’s not like I have a thousand shirts here….»

He grumbled, talking to the giant dog like he could understand his words, and Hades tilted his head on the side, confused by Magnum ramblings.

Thomas took his shirt off, and Juliet bit her lip, mesmerized by the tanned muscles of his torso, she noticed a few scratches on his pecs and she went toward him reflexively, to assess his light injuries.

« He hurt you… » She whispered, her hands touching the red skin around the scratches with worry in her eyes. « Hades ! Bad dog ! Don’t jump on him ! You’re too big to play rough like that ! »

« Don’t get mad at him, he didn’t do it on purpose, he just went crazy because of the food… » Added Magnum in a low tone, seeing the guilty look on the mastiff face. 

Thomas scratched him behind his ears to comfort the upset dog, who was hiding its face between its huge paws, and Juliet sighed.

« He will never understand that he’s not allowed to jump on you, if you act like that ! He’s cute, but he’s nearly a hundred and fifty pounds, he could seriously harm you by accident. » She scolded, her hands on her hips, with a cute pout on her face.

« I know…. He’s just so cute… Even for a giant monster… »

Magnum hissed when Juliet poked the scratches on his chest.

« Go take your shower, we are supposed to meet with my family for lunch. »

« Alright, alright… » He replied with a sheepish smile.

She watched him walk toward the ensuite bathroom door, apreciating the view of his muscular back and sighed, she was so screwed.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

« Thanks again for the pancakes, as usual, they were delicious, despite the mess you always leave in the kitchen, I have to admit that you are a great cook. »

Juliet was wearing a beautiful pale green flowery dress, the pastel greenish color made her hazel eyes stand out even more than usual, she looked amazing thought Thomas, in love with her romantic attire.

She was fumbling with the belt of her dress, and Magnum wondered what would happened if he suddenly pulled on one of the ribbon of her belt….

Would the kimono style dress opened to reveale her body underneath ? 

He chased the idea from his blurred mind, she always had that effect on him, confusing him between desire and annoyance.

« You can’t help it !… You just can’t say a compliment without a tease behind… You could have just said ‘Thank you Magnum, your amazing skills in the kitchen never ceased to amaze me !’ » He retorted, imitating her voice and her british accent, with her signatured head tilt.

« First, my voice is not that high-pitched ! And second, your british accent is awful !… But you’re right, I do like to tease you, and I should probably keep the teasing to the minimum if we want to look like the perfect couple. » Admitted Juliet with a little pout.

« I think perfect is boring, personally I prefer to be with someone interesting, who is challenging me everyday, instead of a cute barbie doll too eager to please me. »

« I thought you wanted me to be nicer to you… »

« Yeah…. Maybe I changed my mind, I like you the way you are…»

He replied with a boyish grin, bumping her shoulder teasingly.

Juliet couldn’t stop the smile creeping up on her face, as she grabbed her hand bag and large summer floppy hat to follow him downstairs.

Her smile froze on her face, when she noticed the man talking angrily to her uncle in the living room.

« Father ? »

The old man stared at her with a cold look in his eyes, irritation clear on his face. 

Twins, they were twins thought Magnum astonished by the two brothers identical features, apart from the mustache on Juliet’s uncle face, there was nothing to tell them apart.  
The resemblance with her uncle was uncanny, but the absence of love and warmth in his eyes was a great difference to Jonathan gentler attitude.

« I’m pained to see you forgot all your manners on that island, after all the expenses I put in your education, You still can’t behave properly, my dear Juliet. »

Magnum felt Higgins tensed beside him, he grabbed her hand to comfort and support her, happy that she accepted his gentle gesture, and lightly squeezed his hand in return.

« Good morning Father, I’m deeply sorry for the expenses, rest assured I will reimburse you for the boarding school, tutors and all the governesses you had to pay to avoid being a father to me….. Oh ! I forgot, I already did that when I saved your company from bankruptcy a few years ago… »

‘Ouch !’ Thought Magnum, this was Juliet when she was pissed off, and even him knew that going against her was a really bad idea when she was angry like that.

Juliet 1 - Daddy Higgins 0.

« Hi ! I supposed I should introduce myself, I’m Thomas Magnum, and I’m very pleased to meet you Mr Higgins. » Said Magnum with a smile, stretching his hand toward Juliet’s father for a handshake, trying to defuse the situation.

But Edward Higgins gave him a hard and cold look, instead of taking his hand to greet him, his eyebrows arching comically, as he scrutinized him, from the tips of his sneakers to the top of his dark hair, disdain and contempt clear in his eyes.

Magnum flinched a little, under the rude perusal, so much for good manners he thought.

But it was nothing compared to the constant yelling he got from his superiors in the navy, so he continued with a teasing smile.

« I’m really flattered that you are so interested in my good looks, but sadly, I don’t swing that way, daddy Higgins… Too bad, I’m already in love with your daughter, because I’m not against experimenting a little… » He continued in a sultry tone, winking to the older man.

Seeing the offended and startled look on her father’s face, Juliet and her uncle bursted out laughing.

She had never seen her father so red and embarrassed, in her whole life.

« YOU !…You are…. » Edward stammered, unable to find his words, you could litterally see the smoke of fury coming out of his ears.

Magnum just ignored him, seeing the english mastiff running toward him, this time he stopped Hades mid-air grabbing his huge paws to prevent him from jumping on him.

He gently pushed the dog down, petting him on his head, « Hey buddy ! I know you love me, everybody does… » And Magnum winked at lord Higgins again, with a teasing smile.

Thomas grabbed Juliet’s hand to lead her outside, « Come on babe, let’s go see the rest of the family ! »

And Juliet followed him, grinning carefreely, she was so happy he was here with her.

She wished she had a friend like him growing up, maybe her heart wouldn’t have been so hurt and so cold all the time.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

« Who the bloody hell he thinks he is ?!!!! Talking to me like that ! And he thinks he can date my daughter ?!! I didn’t raise her to be involved with a good for nothing like him ! »

« You didn’t raise her, I did ! And Juliet can date whoever she wants, it’s her life, she’s an adult, she can take care of herself, she had proven that many times, and probably better than you, Edward ! » Replied Jonathan in a harsh tone, slowly loosing his patience.

« Don’t forget who is her father John ! I am ! Whatever you think about your relationship with MY wife, Juliet is still mine ! And she will do what I want ! Even if I had to tame her like a rebellious mare ! » Warned lord Higgins, his face red with anger.

« Good luck with that ! You couldn’t when she was thirteen, I don’t think you will manage to control her now. You forget that your role as a father is to love her and support her, and not just pushing her to marry your business partner, like selling livestock to the market, it’s your daughter we are talking about ! »

« Nicholas Endicott and his family are invited to the wedding, and contrary to that rude poor soldier, he is rich, powerful, and handsome. I’m sure she will see that he is a far better match than this poor excuse of a man. » Answered Edward with a sneer.

Jonathan sighed, he wished he could change the cold heart of his brother, but years after years, he kept hurting his daughter, neglecting to give her the love she needed.

He followed his brother outside, the summer sun made him blink but warmed his old heart, seeing Magnum and Juliet talking and laughing with Jenny in the middle of the other guests reassured him.

This luncheon had started badly, but Magnum was slowly starting to charm the rest of the family, his joyful nature was hard to resist, and Jonathan hoped that his brother and Nicholas wouldn’t find a way to hurt him.

Jonathan gently patted Orion on his head, his faithful and powerful guardian, contrary to Hades, he never left his side even for a second.

« You and Hades ought to watch over him ! Nobody mess with him and Juliet on my watch. »

And Orion barked loudly, startling a group of old offended rich ladies, Jonathan smiled, maybe Magnum was what this family needed, he wasn’t against a little revolution in Higgins manor.


	5. Chapter 5

Magnum coudn’t take his eyes off Juliet, as she went across the elegant tables, filled with all sorts of fancy foods he never knew about, greeting the differents members of her family, most of them looking at him like he was an insect, someone insignificant who didn’t belong in their privilege world.

Anybody would have felt uncomfortable. 

The awkward situation would have made them uneasy.

But Magnum wasn’t just anybody.

He enjoyed teasing people like them, people who believe that they were above everybody else, like the basic rules of the world didn’t apply to them.

Contrary to them, he had nothing to loose. 

He didn’t care about his reputation, or what would people think about him if he ever used the wrong knife or spoon while eating those expensive appetizers.

In the end, he was eating their delicious food and drinking their pricey champagne, so he was happy and kept smiling at them, offending the old uptight ladies and their mean little poodles.

Magnum kept eating joyfully, laughing with Jenny and Juliet’s uncle, Hades at his side expectantly waiting for him to slip some food under the table, he patted the mastiff on his head, his eyes locked on Juliet who was talking to some tall guy who had just arrived, he didn’t seem to be someone from her family, with the way he was looking at her.

« It’s Nicholas Endicott, my brother’s young business partner… » Said Jonathan with a mischievious smile, not missing the boiling jaleousy in Magnum’s eyes.

« I… I didn’t say anything… »

« But your eyes were burning holes in his back, so I rather end your misery and tell you who he is… » Added the english lord, patting his arm reassuringly.

« He seemed awfully comfortable around Juliet… » Said Magnum in a low tone, pouting a little.

« He’s like that with anyone, wherever he goes he act like he own the place. » Added Jenny, pushing a rebellious scarlet curl behind her ear.

She smiled seeing that Magnum kept toying with his food, his eyes locked on Juliet and Nicholas, anxiously staring at them.

« He asked Juliet out several times already, and she had always refused, don’t worry she doesn’t like him, despite what he think. »

« And what does he think exactly ? » Asked Thomas with a frown.

« Oh Nicholas think that he is irresistible, and that all women worship the ground he walk on, even if they pretend otherwise. »

« So he doesn’t take no for an answer… » Continued Magnum, not liking where this was going.

« No… sadly no, he doesn’t, which earned him a broken nose from Juliet, when we were in college, he didn’t apreciated it and spreaded all kind of rumors on her to get back at her, until she left and changed college. For him Juliet is the trophy missing on his shelf, she is the girl that got away… »

« Do you have any idea how disturbing is what you just said, it’s like this guy is a predator… »

« I think he is a predator, and I still don’t get why uncle Edward is still working with him… » Added Jenny, not hiding her disgust.

« Just for the money Jenny, just for the money… I offered to help him with his company, but he refused my help and choosed to work with Endicott instead. » Continued Jonathan, in a tone full of regrets, ashamed of his brother.

« And now Endicott want Juliet in counterpart, like a compensation. »

« Something like that… It’s not verbalized clearly, but everybody knows what he wants… »

« And you are okay with that ! He is still invited in the family like he is some kind of prince charming, when in reality he is some kind of ogre or Bluebeard ! » Added Thomas barely containing his irritation.

« I didn’t want him to be part of the wedding, but it’s my parents who are making the invitations, so I didn’t get a word to say in it, he’s very popular, nobody knows who he really is and what is capable of. »

« Or everybody knows and they are all okay with it … » Continued Magnum, anger boiling in his veins.

« That too… » Replied Jenny a little embarrassed.

« Yeah, but I’m not okay with it ! » Replied Magnum angrily, standing up to join Juliet at the bar.

Thomas was seething with Jaleousy and anger, he did his best to calm himself before meeting the millionaire, he didn’t trust himself to stay polite and charming if the guy dared to make a move on her in front of him.

Magnum had barely arrived next to Juliet, that Nicholas stopped him right away and put a few money bills in his shirt’s pocket, asking for a flute of champagne, with a smirk.

The P.I knew it was a way to humiliate him, feigning to mistake him for a waiter, he wasn’t surprised. 

It was the kind of crappy tactic that this kind of guy usually used to make people uncomfortable, unfortunately this kind of behavior didn’t really work on him.

« I’m not a waiter, and you know it because they are all wearing an uniform, and I think you are observant enough to notice that, unless I was wrong and you are more stupid than I thought…»

Juliet eyes widened at Magnum’s cold and threatening tone, he was usually a walking ray of sunshine, she barely recognized the hard look in his eyes.

Nicholas was taken aback, he didn’t expect such a cocky attitude, people were usually too afraid to talk back to him, he was a little puzzled by the confident and agressive behavior of Juliet’s boyfriend.

The millionaire laughed out loud to hide his embarrassment, his friends laughing with him, Magnum just ignored him and slid a hand around Juliet’s waist and whispered in her ear.

« You’re okay ? »

« Yes, and it really wasn’t necessary, even if I liked the stunned face he made when you called him stupid. »

« It was my pleasure. » He mumbled in her hair, kissing gently her blond curls.

Juliet wasn’t usually a great fan of PDA, but she weirdly felt safe and comfortable in his arms, she surprisingly didn’t mind his affectionate gesture.

« Alright, alright, you had me on this one. Juliet, your boyfriend is awfully funny, I’m starting to like him, Thomas… It’s Thomas right ? »

« Thomas Magnum, pleased to meet you Nicholas. »

« You know who I am ? I’m flattered. »

« Jenny told me everything about you… Everything…» Added Magnum, the threat clear in his tone, the intensity in his gaze making Endicott uncomfortable.

« We were talking about polo, do you mind joining us for a game ? » Asked Nicholas with a smirk.

Juliet squeezed Magnum’s hand urgently, « Don’t, he’s going to hurt you. » She whispered in his ear.

« I’ve never played before, so I don’t know, I think I’m just going to disrupt the game. » Answered Thomas wincing a little when Juliet squeezed his fingers even tighter.

« Come on, we have all the equipments, we can lend you a uniform, it’s going to be fun ! Don’t tell me you are scared, you are a navy seal right ? » Taunted Nicholas, with a smug smile.

Juliet felt Magnum tensed next to her, the only subject he was sensitive about was his duty as a soldier, and apparently Endicott knew which button to push to rile him up.

« Okay, just don’t kill me before the wedding, I haven’t seen Juliet in her bridesmaid dress yet, I don’t wanna die before dancing with her at the wedding. »

Everyone around laughed, Endicott patted Magnum on his shoulder, « Don’t worry if you can’t dance, I’ll dance with her. » He added, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Juliet just dropped Thomas’s hand and walked away toward the stables in rapid steps, she was furious, and Magnum regretted immediately his words, he should have listen to her.

« Higgy ! Come on, don’t be mad, I’m sorry ! »

Juliet ignored him, and stopped before a huge light grey horse to pet it gently, closing her eyes trying to calm herself and bury the fear slowly growing inside of her.

« Higgy… I should have listened to you, I’m sorry but it’s okay it’s just a game… »

« It’s not just a game ! It’s a dangerous sport ! If he managed to make you fall from your horse, they could crush you and seriously harm you ! Why are you acting like that ? Cocky and macho just like him ? You have nothing to prove to him ! I know what kind of person you are, and you are a far better man than him ! Don’t play his game ! He’s going to hurt you ! »

She was scared, and Magnum wondered if it happened before.

« Did Richard play against him ? » He asked in a soft tone.

« He did… And he end up with a broken arm, Nicholas’s horse had stepped on him, missing his head by an inch. »

Juliet’s sight was locked on the beautiful horse in front of her, brushing its silver mane on the side, but she seemed so far away, lost in her memories, sad ones according to the shadow in her eyes.

« I’m sorry, I’ll tell him I changed my mind… »

Juliet sighed and grabbed his arm to hold him back, with a curious look on her face. She studied him intently for while, like she was trying to decipher something hidden in his eyes.

« Why did you agree to play against him ? It’s not like you to be so competitive… What are you hiding ? »

Magnum smiled mischieviously, « It doesn’t matter, you don’t want me to play, I won’t play… I don’t want to upset you and bring back bad memories… »

Juliet scrutinized his amber eyes, the glint of malice in them shining like a fire in a dark cave, he was definitely hiding something.

« You lied, you had played that sport before. »

And the confident smile he gave her in return, just confirmed what she was thinking.

She remembered him talking about his young years with his family in Mexico, his uncle had a ranch full of horses, and he grew up dreaming of being a cowboy or a bull rider.

Juliet knew the sport was popular in South America, maybe Magnum had accepted to play against Endicott, knowing full well the guy was going to underestimate him…. Just like she did.

She shouldn’t have been surprised, Magnum liked to play dumb, letting people think that he didn’t know what he was doing, giving them the image of someone less smarter than he really was.

« It’s the sport of the kings ! I don’t have a title like you duchess, but I am the white knight ! So I think I can beat him ! » He replied with a boyish grin.

« Oh god ! Why do you have to bring the white knight in this ? You were almost sexy and confident before, now you’re back to being an idiot ! » Replied Juliet, rolling her eyes.

« Hey ! The white knight is not an idiot, he’s a hero ! And for once that he is in a real castle, I had to ride a horse right ? Come on ! »

« Shut up Magnum ! And come with me, I’ll help you get prepared for the game…»

« So you changed your mind ? I can play ? »

« Yes ! I trust you… Just… Be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt… »

« I’ll do my best… »

And Juliet was grateful that he didn’t lie, by saying something like he wasn’t going to get hurt, because they both knew, that an accident could easily happened, careful or not.

A few minutes later, Juliet brought back a polo shirt and a new set of boots for her partner. 

She bit her lip, hoping she wasn’t blushing like a teenager, when she saw him shirtless, with only the white uniform pants on him.

He had always look good in white, the pale color bringing out his smooth caramel skin, Magnum’s athletic built had always been a turn on for her, making her heart beat faster each time he walked around the guest house half naked. 

Juliet suddenly missed the quiet and peaceful Robin’s nest, she wished she was home alone with him, far away from London and all her family turmoils.

« Which horses did you pick for me ? » Asked Magnum while putting on his polo shirt.

« What ?.... Oh…. I only picked one horse, it’s not a full game so no need to change ponies. I choosed the white and grey one from earlier, she’s sweet and fast, easy to lead, very nimble, and powerful enough to take a charge without falling. You’ll see Eowyn is a very good polo pony. »

« Eowyn ? That’s a nice name, and she’s white so it fit really well with the white knight. » He added, showing his dimples with a beaming smile.

Juliet rolled her eyes, failing at hiding her grin, she crouched down to adjust his kneeguards, letting her hands slowly slide along the muscles of his thighs, and Magnum bit back a groan of pleasure, feeling her wandering hands on him.

Then she stood up to take care of his elbow pads, tightening the leather straps on his arms, her fingers gently grazing his biceps, her nails catching lightly on the vein on the tensed muscles. 

She kept her eyes down, too afraid that he could see the desire burning in them, instead she focused on his attire, finding all sorts of pretences to touch him, to make sure he was going to be alright.

Juliet felt like a princess preparing her knight for a duel.

She couldn’t meet his sight, feeling his amber eyes watching her intently, her racing heart betraying the palpable tension between them.

Magnum grabbed her trembling hands to stop her from fussing over him, he gently stroke her palm, and her cheek, brushing away her curls from her worried face.

He watched her closed her eyes and lean into his touch, and he whispered in ear : « It’s gonna be okay »

« Hey ! Mr navy seal ! Are you ready ? » Shouted Endicott, already on his horse.

Magnum cursed silently, he thought he hated the guy before, now he wanted to knock him out for interrupting them.

« Go ! And don’t do anything stupid ! » Said Juliet, trying to hide her worries behind a shy smile.

Magnum laughed, caressing her hair, « Me ?... Never ! I told you I’m a very skillful gaucho ! »

Juliet shook her head in disbelief, and Magnum was happy to see her little grin, he secretly hoped he wasn’t going to disappoint her.

« Wait ! » She added in a breath, grabbing him by his shirt to pull him toward her in a sensual kiss.

She rose up on her toes, and his desire rose with her.

His heart rate spiked as adrenaline flooded his body, warmth filling his chest like a rush of hot air, like a light sirocco in his heart. 

He cupped the back of her head and dove into her, slowly thrusting his tongue in her mouth in a languid dance.

Before he was able to think about the fact that for once, she was the one who induced the kiss, her fingers were in his hair, pulling him back down, kissing him hard, deep, unleashing unrestrained need and passion, kissing him like she had been starving for his touch for years.

Magnum groaned when he heard Juliet’s uncle calling his name.

He gently pushed her away before he would embarrassed himself, and jumped on his horse, feeling like a knight ready to fight for the lady of his heart.

Thomas gave Juliet a genuine smile and bent down to whisper in her ear, « That was the best good luck kiss I ever had. »

Jonathan Higgins watched Endicott staring at his niece and her boyfriend, with a glint of hate and silent rage shining in his eyes. 

He knew that Nicholas could be dangerous, and he just hoped that history wasn’t going to repeat itself.


	6. Chapter 6

As the polo players arrived on the field, Juliet was standing with all the spectators cheering for the horsemen, and she hated that she looked just like all the other fancy ladies in their beautiful expensive dresses, except maybe for her hat, which was way more simpler than the excentric ones of the others.

She had always wanted to be different from them. 

She felt different.

She had always refused to be part of their world of archaic rules and privileges, and here she was, cheering for her man in a flowry spring dress, under an expensive hat, standing in her designer sandals, all dolled up just like her aunts and cousins, the resemblance with them reminding her that she still hadn’t escape this world.

Juliet threw her hat to the ground in an impulsive gesture, releasing her blond curls. 

She wanted Magnum to see her right away in the middle of the crowd. 

She wanted him to distinguish her easily from all those uptight ladies. 

She didn’t want to be like them. 

In a way she wanted to be like him, free and happy, unaffected by the rules and the conventions.

Of course everybody was cheering for Nicholas, he was rich, handsome and popular, most women wanted him, and he liked the attention, barely smiling and waving dismissively at his fans, he was used to success and people kissing his feet, Juliet hoped that Thomas was going to give him a lesson in humility.

When Magnum entered the field an uproar resonnated through the field, all the castle staff were loudly cheering for him, also all the younger ladies were taking off their hats to wave at him and screaming his name in high-pitched voices, irritating all the older quieter guests, and Juliet laughed seeing Nicholas’s horse bucking under him startled by the uproar, nearly throwing the arrogant millionaire to the ground.

Of course Thomas was successful with the ladies. 

His good looks and gentle manners charming all the feminine guests, most of all the women were cheering for him, which was infuriating Endicott and his team, well…. All the husbands of the spectators didn’t seem to like him either.

« Be careful Juliet ! They are going to steal him from you ! » Teased Jenny, with a smile.

Juliet’s grin softened, « I’m not afraid, I trust Thomas with my life, he’s the most faithful person I know, he would never do that to me. »

And Juliet wished it was true, because Magnum wasn’t hers, if he wanted to be with someone else, who was she to prevent him to do so ?

The kiss they had shared was still tingling on her lips, she had kissed him, passionately and sensually, diving into his mouth like she was starving for him. 

Her boldness had surprised her, and she regretted that all this wasn’t true.

« You’re right, he’s so in love with you, if you had seen his face when you were talking to Nicholas, he was boiling with jealousy. » Continued Jenny, bumping Juliet’s shoulder with a knowing smile.

Juliet scoffed, « You’re imagining things, Magnum isn’t the jealous type. »

« Oh he is ! Believe me… I think he wanted to shove the whole bottle of champagne in Nicholas’s throat for daring talking to you. » Added Jenny wiggling her eyebrows.

Juliet stared at her hands nervously playing with the ribbon of her dress, feeling the blush invading her face, she suddenly regretted throwing away her hat.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Magnum was nervous, despite the fact that he was a good horse rider with a few rodeos under his belt, he was still worried about the game, hoping that he wasn’t going to make a fool of himself, and bite the dust at the first minute he arrived on the field.

He had played polo before, mostly with his friends and cousins, he used to be good at it, even catching the attention of a few recruiters coming to his uncle’s ranch to buy horses, but the navy at put an end at his chances to become a polo champion, sending his life in another direction, and even the dark memories of his imprisonement didn’t make him regret his carreer in the navy seals.

« You choosed Juliet’s horse, how cute is that ? Let’s see if you can ride her properly… » Said Nicholas with a sneer, elliciting a few laughs from his team.

Magnum knew the innuendo was purposefully insulting just to rile him up, but he also knew that he was the one who Juliet had chosen, and the only one having a problem was Nicholas, not him.

« What’s your horse’s name ? He’s beautiful… » Asked Magnum nonchalantly.

« It’s Dante, it’s an amazing criollo argentino, one of the best ! » Replied Nicholas with pride.

« Yeah, I can see that… Be careful… It’s a latin name, he could take my side and choose to throw you off, with the way you’re pulling on the reins to control him… Latin horses have a bold personality, I’m not sure your fancy british education can handle a wild horse like that…»

Nicholas gave Magnum a hard look, seething with silent rage at his stoic and nonchalant retort, his laid back attitude riling him to no end.

Magnum gave him a smug smile in return, and bent down to pet his elegant mare, talking to her like he was flirting with a girl.

« Come on Eowyn, let’s show these stuck up rich people how a simple gaucho can kicked their asses. » He whispered to his horse, gently patting her side, and urging her forward.

He squeezed her sides with his legs, then he shortened his reins and gave her a couple short brisk squeezes with his legs to launched Eowyn toward the open field.

He tugged lightly on the reins, and pressed hard into the saddle to make her spectacularly rear up on her hind legs, and made all the guests cheer for him as he was entering the field like Zorro on his faithful Tornado.

Nicholas was furious, he sent a murderous glare to his team who had reflexively hailed Thomas for his cocky move, he wanted to kill him for stealing his thunder in front of everybody.

Juliet shook her head with a laugh, amazed by Magnum’s confidence.

She just hoped it wasn’t going to backfire.

The game started with the usual scuffle between the the horsemen, Thomas was defending hard against the other team. 

He was fast and efficient, rapidly finding a rythm and an understanding with Eowyn, the pair moving skillfully between the players, infuriating Nicholas even further.

« Juliet ! You didn’t tell us that he was such a good polo player ! » Said an old aunt that usually never give her any attention.

« I’m as puzzled as you are aunt Margareth, Thomas is definitely full of surprises… I knew his uncle was a horse breeder, Thomas told me he dreamt of being a cowboy or a bull rider growing up, but he never told me anything about polo. »

And Juliet felt a little bit guilty for not taking him seriously, when he told her about his uncle, and this part of his childhood.

Magnum always listened very carefully to her when she dared sharing something from her past with him, while in return she used to dismiss him easily, never giving him back the attention he always granted her.

« It look like your new boy toy had jumped to the rank of stable boy, Juliet. »

The cold and disdainful voice of her father made Juliet shivered, whatever happened in her life, it was never good enough for him, especially if he couldn’t control it.

« I’d rather date a stable boy than your creepy business partner, father. » She answered in a harsh tone.

At the same moment two horsemen slammed hard into Magnum, nearly throwing him off his horse. 

Until now Thomas had manage to dodge most all the attacks, but this time he wasn’t so lucky, and Juliet watched him trying to stabilize himself on his horse, holding his side like he was in pain.

« I just hope he’s going to be in one piece after the game, it’s like you're bringing bad luck to all your boyfriends my dear daughter. »

Juliet stared at her father in shock, her heart had skipped a beat at his hurtful words, she felt already guilty for putting Thomas in this situation, and bringing up Richard’s demise was the cruellest things he could do.

For once she couldn’t think of a retort to put him back in his place, the pain in her heart overwhelming her and nearly bringing her to tears.

Juliet left the crowd without a word to walk away in rapid steps, as she walked alongside the stables she felt the tension and the pain in her heart slowly dissolve as she got further away from her father. 

As usual the animals company was more comforting than her own family.

« I should punch you for what you just said ! » Said Jonathan to his brother, in a angry tone.

« You are way too polite for that my brother… » Replied Edward, with a sneer, very amused by his brother’s anger.

« I am not as polite as him, uncle Edward ! » And Jenny threw a glass of red wine to his face, and ran after Juliet, ignoring the shocked cries behind her and her mother’s threats.

Jenny found her cousin leaning against the wooden wall of the stables, pale and fighting her tears, she gave her a watery smile, trying and failing at hiding her sorrow.

The redhead went to lean against the wall right beside Juliet and bump her shoulder playfully, with a little smile.

« I threw a glass of wine at his face !.... In front of my mother ! » Said Jenny gleefully, surprising Juliet by her rebellious act.

Both women bursted out laughing, just like when they were little girls, the blond and the redhead, the little J&Js, and it felt good to forget the good manners, the endless rules, the hypocrisy, just being the litlle girls they used to be, with all their candors and their flaws.

« You’re not going to see him ? » Asked Jenny.

« I don’t know… I don’t want to disturb him… »

« You’re not cursed you know, don’t listen to uncle Edward, he is just mean and cruel. What happened to Richard wasn’t your fault, and nothing is going to happen to Thomas just because you’re with him. He loves you, don’t let him down because you’re scared. Be brave, just like he is for you, look at him, he’s fighting for you, the least you can do, is to be there for him. » Added her cousin, staring into Juliet's sad eyes.

Juliet sighed and followed her cousin toward the players, she wished she could be more honnest with the her feelings, but talking to Magnum seemed awfully scary right now.

Thomas was sitting on table as a medic was lifting his polo shirt to examine his ribs, he flashed a glorious grin at her when he saw her, but he look pale and exhausted, wincing each time the medic was probing his side.

« Hey babe ! Where are your pom poms ? I didn’t see you jump in the air for me back there ! » Said Thomas with a mischievious smile, he noticed her red eyes and her paleness, something had happened while he was on the field.

« I’m not a cheerleader Magnum ! I think you are mistaking me for someone else…. » She retorted playfully, gently brushing away his sweaty hair from his forehead, and Magnum leant into her touch, resting his head against her shoulder.

« You’re right, I’d rather date the nerdy girl who like to spend all her time hiding in the library… »

« Liar… » Replied Juliet with a smile, still tenderly running her fingers through his hair.

« Yeah… I was stupid when I was younger, but not anymore… » He admitted in a low tone, his lips grazing the bare skin of her neck, sliding his arm around her slender waist.

« Are you okay ? You can quit if you want, you don’t have to impressed me, I don’t want you to get hurt… » She whispered with worry in her voice.

« Are you kidding me ? They slammed into me for nothing ! I didn’t even have the ball ! They just followed Nicholas’s order because he was pissed at me ! He didn’t even do it himself, he just used his guys to do the hardwork for him ! I’m going to kick his ass ! » Said Magnum suddenly standing up, startling Juliet by his outburst.

« Are you sure about this ? You are already injured… »

« It’s nothing, just a few bruised ribs, I’ve seen worse and I didn’t fell of my horse… » He continued excitedly, squeezing her hand to reassure her.

« I noticed, anyone would have easily fell down, but you didn’t » Said Juliet grabbing a towel to gently wipe his sweaty face, slightly amused by his eagerness.

« He’s the one who is going down, I’m gonna make him eat grass and bite the dust ! »

« Hey Gaucho ! You’re coming or what ? » Said another horseman from his team, the handsome argentinian player giving Juliet a little salute with a tilt of his head.

Juliet smiled at the polo player, and Magnum felt a surge of jealousy rose inside of him.

« Hey ! Back off Nacho ! Eyes on the field ! I’m coming ! » Shouted Magnum, then he tightened his embrace around her waist and kissed her long, hard and deep, leaving her breathless and blushing profusely, and just jumped right back on his horse, like he had been boosted with a shot of adrenaline.

« God !!! Juliet you lucky girl ! He must be amazing in bed ! »

« Jenny !!! »

« What ? It’s not true ? »

‘I don’t know’ thought Juliet, I don’t know….

She blushed even more thinking about him making love to her, and according to the smiles she saw on the girls leaving the guest house in the morning, she guessed he must be really good.

Magnum launched his horse at full speed on the field, slaloming gracefully between the players.

In a swift move, he stole the ball from a furious Nicholas screaming at him, and sent it to his partner the talented Nacho, who galloped toward the goal to score another point for his team.

Everyone cheered for his team around the field, and Juliet laughed seeing her partner so happy, Nacho and the other players patting his back joyfully.

Even the uptight old ladies were applauding him for stealing the ball from Nicholas, Juliet guessed that with his arrogance, Nicholas had riled up a lot of people, and now it was backfiring at him.

Magnum and Nacho scored the next several points against Nicholas’s team, giving an easy victory to their team, even if the time count wasn’t over, everybody knew that Nicholas had lost against Magnum’s team.

The millionaire was so pissed off, he was screaming angrily at everybody, at his teamates, at his own horse, pushing the poor animal at his limits. 

People were starting to worry that he was going to harm the poor pony, with the brutal way he was handling it.

« Be careful gaucho, I think our friend Nicholas is targeting you. » Warned Nacho, in a low tone, patting Magnum on his arm to tell him he had his back.

« Thanks hermano ! Don’t worry, I'm watching him, he’s as loud as a those annoying poodles on those old ladies’s lap. »

Nacho laughed heartily, « You’re funny my friend, call me anytime you want ! I would be happy to play with you again ! »

Magnum was amazed that the famous player was so welcoming toward him, and willing to play with him again, now he needed to finish this game in one piece, he didn’t want to disappoint and scare Juliet furthermore.

All the horsemen got ready for the last point. 

Magnum launched his horse at full speed behind Nicholas to steal his ball again, another player slammed hard into him to make him fall from his horse.

But Eowyn took the charge without flinching, and Magnum hanged up on her hard enough to stabilize himself without falling, making Nicholas screamed with rage when he saw that his attempt at throwing the P.I on the ground, had failed again.

In a desperate attempt at hurting Thomas, Nicholas threw his mallet toward Magnum’s head. 

Thomas dodged the blow and stopped his horse abruptly, unbalancing Endicott’s pony, who threw the millionaire hard on the ground.

As everyone screamed shocked by the spectacular fall, Thomas immediately got off his horse to assess his opponant injuries.

« Hey ! Are you okay ? » Asked Magnum, with worry in his eyes, lowering himself on the grass next to Endicott.

Nicholas slowly opened his eyes with a groan of pain, and when he understood the situation he was in, he grabbed his mallet again in a last attempt to strike Thomas with a scream of rage.

This time Nacho stopped him right away by knocking him out with a punch right into his nose.

Thomas stayed on the ground, completely stunned by Nicholas’s outburst, until his team pulled him up in the air to carry him on their shoulders, to celebrate their last point and their victory, abandoning the millionaire out cold on the field.

Juliet watched Magnum being carried triumphally around under the applause of the public. 

She finally let out a sigh of relief, seeing that he was fine and happy, sending her a beaming smile between the loud cheers of his teamates.

He suddenly shrieked when his teamates sprayed him, drenching him with some fancy and expensive champagne. 

He took off his wet polo shirt to throw it up in the air, as they put him on the floor in front of Juliet.

« I told you I was going to kick his ass ! » Said gleefuly Magnum with a boyish smile.

« I thought it was Nacho who did it ? » Answered Juliet playfully.

« Hey ! I was the one who made him bite the dust ! »

« It’s true ! » she admitted teasingly, « I’m proud of you, you did good ! »

And Magnum felt warmth spread in his chest, her simple words touching him deeper than he expected.

He cupped the back of her head to pull her toward him in a deep, tender kiss, slowly stroking her cheeks as his tongue caressed hers languidly.

Juliet let herself melt into him, surrending herself in his strong arms, under the offended gaze of her father.

« Did he had to take his shirt off like that ? We are in public ! » Growled Edward.

« I don’t mind the tanned and muscular torso ! » Replied aunt Margareth adjusting her glasses on her nose to get a better view.

« MAGGIE ! »

« Calm down Edward ! You look like you're going to have an heart attack ! They are young, you forgot what it was to be in love and happy ! You need to let go a little, Juliet deserved to be happy after all this time… »

« Tell him Margareth ! I’m tired of trying to convince him to let her live her life as she desire…. Come on ! Let’s celebrate this victory ! » Added Jonathan, offering his arm to his sister, joining the rest of the crowd in the euphoria of the their team’s triumph. 

They hadn’t won a single game against Nicholas in a very long time, and with that victory Thomas had won the heart of the whole Higgins family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a few liberties with Magnum's past 😅😅😅 I wanted him to give a lesson to Nicholas Endicott !
> 
> I pictured Nacho as Nacho Figueras, a famous polo player I saw on Conan and on the Ellen show 😍😍😍  
> watch him on youtube he's charming and very funny ! I love his accent !  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxMq-EGvtaY  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNpUjpegZrU  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy_qrJFueRQ
> 
> Of course all the problems in the higgins family aren't solved, but I think most of them are going to be a little bit nicer to Thomas now, except for his father, and obviously Nicholas...  
> Both of them hadn't said their last word...
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter !


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody ! I hope you are all fine, and not going crazy like me over the lack of episode this week.
> 
> This a link to my tumblr if you want to see Magnum and Juliet's costume for the ball.  
> https://annieimpala67.tumblr.com/post/645480680757886976/source-pinterest
> 
> And a little video from the movie Sabrina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BFhn0yqVQ8

« FUCK !!! » Suddenly shouted Magnum, with a hand over his chest, like he was going to have a heart attack.

After a well deserved long hot shower, he was just getting out of the ensuite bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another one around his neck, when he saw a strange brunette woman standing in a white dress in he middle of his bedroom.

For a second he thought he was stucked in a nightmare, or maybe he was loosing his mind, because when he left the bedroom, Higgins was there in her bathrobe meticulously brushing her hair, and now, there was a pretty petite brunette in a really fancy dress.

The lady slowly turned around, and Magnum was baffled by the sight before his eyes.

« Higgy ? »

« Yes ? Who were you expecting ? The queen of England ? I told you, our majesty will not grace us with her presence for the wedding, and certainly not today, even after your spectacular victory… »

Magnum didn’t hear the rest of her ramblings, because he was mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. 

Juliet was clad in a white strapless evening gown, with dark flowers embroided on the silky fabric, it was the exact replica of the Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn in the movie ‘Sabrina’.

She went to sit on a velvet footstool in front of her dressing table, putting on a bright red lipstick, the striking color contrasting with her white dress and her jet black hair.

‘Wait a minute…. Black ???…’

Since when were Juliet’s hair black ?

Magnum got closer to touch her hair, taking a silky strand between his fingers, playing with the dark curls trapped in a sophisticated bun.

He was very surprised by the transformation, but he was falling in love with her very glamorous outfit.

« It’s just a wig Magnum.» Said Juliet, with a teasing smile on her face.

« You look amazing… » He replied, impressed by her choice of costume.

« I was ready to tell you that I was too exhausted to go to the costume party, but now… I think I'm going to accompany you eventhough I’m a bit tired. » He continued with wonder in his eyes.

« Thank you for today… I know you must be in pain and exhausted after this match, so I understand if you don’t want to attend the ball, my family is fond of those unecessary gatherings. »

Juliet rose to her feet and slowly dragged the towel around his neck to gently wipe the water on his face and in his hair, the intimate gesture making warmth spread in Magnum’s chest.

His eyes full of emotions searched for her hazel irises, asking too many embarrassing questions, but she expertly avoided his sight, cowardly focusing on his wet bare skin and his unruly hair. 

Sadly she couldn’t control the heat invading her face, the blooming blush on her cheeks betraying her feelings. 

She was as troubled as he was.

Magnum gently grabbed her wrist to stop her ministrations, and bent down to whisper in her ear, his voice rough with desire : « I told you, I will be by your side tonight… What are you doing, Juliet ? »

Still avoiding his demanding eyes and, turned on by his warm breath against her flushed skin, Juliet replied in a husky voice : « You’re putting water everywhere… On the floor… On my dress…»

Her eyes followed the clear rivulets of water on his bare skin, her sight slowly rising from his naked chest to his stubbly jaw, lingering on his lips.

There was noone besides them in the room, it was just him and her, so there were no needs for pretending, but the desire burning inside of her was too overwhelming, and she was tired of fighting what she was feeling for him.

Juliet rose on her tip toes and gently pressed her quivering lips against his.

It was shy, tentative and more emotional than any kiss Magnum had ever had, and it made his heart beat so fast he thought he was going to die right here right now, and he couldn’t think of a better way to leave this world. 

He slid his hand behind her neck to deepen the kiss, his tongue licking her uper lip, asking for permission. 

When she opened her mouth, he dove into her warmth, caressing her tongue tenderly, slowly melting into her, elliciting a blissful moan from her.

« Juliet… » He whispered out of breath against her lips, « Tell me that this is real, I need you to tell me we’re not pretending anymore… »

Juliet met his warm eyes full of fear and uncertainty, all his usual confidence and audacity gone, he was as scared as she was, all his hidden feelings clear in his eyes.

« This is real, no more pretending… » She answered in a low tone, her fingers gently running through his dark silky hair.

She was surprised she made the first move, but the last few days had been so confusing, between the little game they played, and the storm of feelings he managed to stir inside her heart, Juliet was tired of fighting and she surrendered herself into his arms.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

« I’m going to kill him ! » Shouted Nicholas, kicking a chair out of his way, he had practically destroyed all the furnitures in his room.

« There’s no need for such extreme action, I think I have a better way to get back at your rival, Nicholas. » Replied Edward, handing a folder to his angry business partner.

Endicott rapidly went through the documents, his anger not decreasing even a little.

« Why are you showing me his navy service records ? I don’t care about the kind of hero he was, he went to war….Great ! How is this going to be useful to me ? » Asked the millionaire, rapidly loosing his patience.

« Do you know what PTSD is ? » Continued Juliet’s father in a nonchalant tone.

« I’m not a psychologist, but yes ! I do know what it means. »

« Magnum had spent a year and half locked up in a POW camp in Afghanistan, being tortured everyday, he barely escaped alive. I supposed you saw the scars on his torso… I just thought that maybe, we could play a little prank on him, nothing serious, just something triggering enough to make him regret ever crossing his path with us. »

Nicholas smiled, « You are truly evil my friend, and I like it ! Tell me what you have in mind… »

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

The rustle of expensive fabric as partygowers twirled around the dancefloor, was starting to make him dizzy. 

Magnum was a little bit frustrated that Jonathan had managed to steal Juliet away from him to dance with her, and let him stucked with an overly pink Marie-Antoinette, all dolled up in pastel frills, roses, and pearls.

But he had to admit that the ball had started very nicely. 

He had spent his time dancing, drinking champagne and laughing with Juliet and her family, basking himself in the euphoria of Juliet’s confession.

She was in love with him, and even if she didn’t said it in these exact precise words, he was sure of it, she was sharing his feelings and he had never been this happy since a very long time.

When the music finally stopped, Magnum sighed with relief as Marie-Antoinette, he didn’t remember her real name, released her tight grasp on him.

With a supposedly cute curtsy, she thanked him for the dance, and left him to gloat with her friends, that she had manage to dance with the champion of the day.

Seeing another set of princesses looking expectantly at him, Magnum smiled sheepishly at them, and ran toward Juliet and her uncle as if his life depended on it. He had enough of those ungraceful handsy ladies threatening his virtue.

As his partner was applauding the orchestra, clad in her simple but very glamorous white dress, Magnum lifted her up in the air, making her laugh and shriek in surprise, when he twirled her up in his arms.

She was standing out from the ostentatious complicated costumes of the other dancers. 

He noticed that when the others disguised themselves as princesses, Juliet had choosen to disguise herself as the chauffeur’s daughter, the poor romantic Sabrina, an average girl, probably thé girl next door she wanted to be.

Magnum put her down gently on the floor, and pulled her in a tight hug to whisper in her ear : « Don’t you ever leave me alone with those hyenes, I think one them wanted to litterally eat me alive. »

« Aaaaw… Don’t worry I will protect you my knight. » She said playfully, smoothing the white jacket of his tuxedo with her silky gloved hand.

When the music started again, this time Magnum kept his partner tight against him sending her uncle a warning glare, making Juliet and Jonathan laughed heartily.

« You go danced with the hyenes, this time ! Juliet is mine for the rest of the night ! » He said in a heated but playfull tone, not noticing how Juliet’s heart skipped a beat at his possessive words.

Juliet gently tilted Magnum’s face with the tip of her fingers to make him look at her. 

She showed him how to place his hands, and how to lead the waltz, following the music. 

It was easier than she thought and with a quick and sinuous twist of grip, Juliet was gracefully dancing with Magnum finding it odd how easily she felt comfortably fitted in her partner’s arms.

The dance continued, twirling and turning, until Juliet’s back was pressed to Thomas's torso, and her chest grew tight, because this was not what she expected. 

But the warmth felt good, she trusted Thomas and her eyes fluttered shut as he leant slightly into her to whisper, « This time I’m leading. »

Held in his tight grip, dancing close, she could feel every shift of his muscles underneath his shirt against her skin.

« This is not how you are supposed to dance a waltz, Magnum. » She stammered in a husky voice, aroused by his sensual touch.

With a quick close step, she pressed yet closer and he groaned, he couldn’t help it, the sound forced from him by the sheer proximity of warmth to certain parts of her flesh.

Juliet stepped away and turned around to face him, and Magnum damn near whimpered as her warmth left his front, only for him to pull her back, closer to him, pressing a kiss to her neck. 

« You like it… » He whispered in her ear, his breath caressing her skin, and she gasped and groaned, eyes opening wide, barely able to make out Magnum’s hands plucking almost questioningly at the buttons of the back of her dress.

The blush on her cheeks and the fever in her eyes betrayed how aroused she was in his arms. 

Juliet had enough of dancing.

She grabbed his hand and led him toward the exit, ignoring her family and the others women staring hungrily at Magnum. 

Juliet excused herself to her uncle to retire for the evening. 

Magnum did the same, looking at her with impressed surprise, as they exited the ballroom and began the long walk back to their chambers.

When they reached their doorstep, he finally asked in a low tone, once they were completely out of earshot of the other guests. 

« Are you sure about this ? I don’t want to pressure you into anything if you’re not ready… I want to do this right…» 

She stopped in the hallway and turned to look at him frankly, her dark hazel eyes mirroring all the emotions hidden within her.

« A few days ago, I wouldn’t have been so sure about this, about us. I left London because I wanted to be different from them, but in the end, I didn’t changed at all. I brought all their pressures and their rules with me in Hawaii, and I pulled them on you. I was unfair to you, when you were so nice and so honnest with me. And I hid myself behind those walls, afraid of being hurt again… I don’t want to be scared anymore… I want to be brave... I want to be love by you, if you want me…» 

He could hear the fear and the longing in her voice. 

Her words touched him deeply and spread warmth into his chest.

He took a step closer and her breath hitched. 

The sound traveled straight to his groin.

That was all it took for him to twist her around, and pin her to the wall of the hallway before she could even blink. 

His mouth was on her lips, on her neck in the same breath, and she felt his warm muscles pressing against her slender frame, « I’ve been waiting for this for so long… »

His tongue ran down her shoulder, roughly grazing her sensitive skin and into the heaving flesh of her bosom, making both of them pant with desire. 

She wanted him, she could not wait, and almost, almost didn’t care if anyone came upon them here in the middle of the hallway.

But his fingers catching in the hairpins maintaining her wig in place reminded her that she needed to be herself to make love with him on their first time.

« Magnum ? »

« Mmmmmhhh… » He whispered, in the crook of her neck.

« I forgot my bag and my shawl in the ballroom, can you get them for me ?.... Please ? »

He threw his head back, and laughed shaking his head in disbelief, « Whatever you want Milady… » And he quickly pressed a kiss on ler lips and ran back toward the ballroom, nearly stumbling in the stairs in his course.

Juliet went into her bedroom, blushing furiously, she started to meticulously unclip the numerous hairpins in her wig, to free her hair from the offending postiche, muttering to herself, « Sorry Sabrina, but tonight I need to be sure he is with me, and not with you sweetheart. »

Magnum was running down the stairs, with only Juliet in his thoughts, when the mallet hit him hard on the side of his face. 

The blow was so violent, he almost passed out right away.

He heavily crumbled to the floor, his head connecting hard with the ground in a loud crack. 

His blurred eyes darted around, barely distinguishing human shapes in the dark hallway.

Magnum lost his fight against unconsciousness when a second blow hit him again on the side of his head.

He didn’t hear Nicholas ordering his teamates to take him to the dungeon.

He didn't see the satisfied and cruel grin of the millionaire, as his men dragged his body up the stairs, pouring champagne all over his head.

He woke up a few moments later, disoriented with a painful pounding in his head, the heady smell of alcohol all over him.

He tried to move, but he couldn’t. 

He was trapped in some metal box or a coffin, something cramped enough, he coudn’t even extend his arm in front of him.

He needed to think… He ought to calm himself down…

He had been in worse situations… 

Juliet was waiting for him… 

He needed to get out of here.

Suddenly a loud blast resonated in the dark room and Magnum’s heart started to race crazily in his chest.

Low voices were speaking in pashto… threatening him…

His entire body suddenly tensed, like he had been electrocuted.

It was impossible…

He was in England, with Juliet… 

It was over, this wasn’t real…

It was over…

He was safe…

Magnum tried to move again, but he was trapped, and he couldn’t breath anymore, panic slowly invading him.

His heart rate spiked as adrenaline flooded his body.

Dark memories flashed in his brain and he was back in that chair, being tortured endlessly, the smell of blood and sweat making the bile rose in his throat.

And his screams filled the room, resonating against the cold stoned walls, but nobody could hear him, besides the ghost of Higgins manor.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story ! Let me know what you think ! 😅😅😅


End file.
